Rein-holder



(No Model.) I

G. W. THOMPSON.

RBIN HOLDER.

Patented Dec. 13, 1892.

INVENTOH:

A TTOHNE YS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE lV. THOMPSON, OF SAG HARBOR, NEW YORK.

RElN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,97 5, dated December 13, 1892. Application filed liebrnary 12, 1892. Serial No. 421,277. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it mag concern: I

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. THOMPSON, of Sag Harbor, in the county of Suifolk'and State of New York,have invented anew and Improved Rein-Holder, of which the following is a full, cleanand exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in rein-holders such as are adapted to hold the reins of a harness in such a manner that the horse cannot easily throw his tail over them.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple and cheap rein-holder of this kind which may be easily and securely fastened to the hip-straps of a harness, so as to prevent the reins-when slack from dropping down Over the horses sides, and which will hold the reins in such a manner that they may be easily handled, so as to properly drive the horse; but so that the horse cannot throw his tail over them.

To this end myinvention consists in a reinholder the construction of which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a rear. elevation of a pair of rein-holders applied to a harness and horse. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of one of the rein holders, showing the same applied to the hipstrap of a harness. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2,

and Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3.

The rein-holder has a flat or nearly flat base 10, the under side of which is made perfectly smooth, so that it will not injure the skin of a horse, and themiddle portion of which is thickened, as shown at 11 in Fig. 4, the base being thickened to provide for the recess 12 and the slide which is held therein. The recess 12 extends longitudinally through the middle portion of the base 10, and is adapted to receive the hip-strap 13 of the harness. The recess 12 may be made wide enough to receive several sizes of hip-straps, and several sizes of the holders may also be used, so that where there is a great difierence in the width of the hip-straps a holder may be made to approximately fit each strap. A slide 14 is held removably in the upper portion of the recess 12, the slide having its side edges dovetailed in the base 10, as shown best at 15 in Fig. 4, and the recess 12 and the slide 14'are made slightly wedge-shape, so that the slide may be slipped in the recess from abovethat is, from near the back-strap of the harnessand it cannot beslipped out through the lower end of the recess.

Upon the slide 14 is the holder proper, comprising the curved members 16, which are united at the base, as shown at 17, and the base is formed preferably integral with the slide 14. The outer ends of the members 16 merge in a horn 18, which when the holder is applied to the hip-strap is adapted to extend inward toward the back-strap of the harness, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus prevent the too easy removal of the reins.

It is not essential that the holder proper be made in the design shown, as it may be made in very many fanciful designs, the only essential thing being that the holder form a suitable abutment for the reins, that it be attached to the base in substantially the manner indicated, and that it have the inwardlyextending horn or guard 18.

A th umb-screw 19 extends inward or downward through the base 17 of the holder proper, and through the slide 14 of the holder, this thumb-screw being adapted to engage the hip-strap so as to prevent the holder from moving upon the strap. The holder will Work all right without the thumb-screw; but' in case the hip-straps fit loosely in the holder the thumb-screw is an advantage, as it prevents any possible slipping; but from the construction shown it is evident that the strap may be wedged at the narrower end of the recess 12 and be thus crowded upward in the recess and the slide 14 caused to bear with sufficient friction against the strap to hold the device in place.

When the holders are applied to a harness one is placed on each side of the back-strap, the slides 14 are removed, the bases 10 placed underneath the hip-straps, so that the hipstraps will lie flat in the recesses 12, the slides are again inserted in the recesses, and the thumb-screws 19 are tightened so as to bind the holders to the straps.

It will be seen that the holders may be adj usted so as to bring them near to the backstrap, or some distance from the same, this depending upon the character of the horsethat is, as to whether or not he has the bad habit of swinging his tail over the reins, as if the horse is very likely to do this the holders may be placed very near to theback-strap, and if the horse is less likely to do this they may be placed farther from the same. The removable slides enable the holders to be applied to any kind of a strap-,asit is not necessary to push the holders endwise upon the strap, and consequently the holders may be applied to any harness.

In practice, the holders may be made of light metal or other material, and they may be plated or ornamented in any desired way.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A rein-holder comprising a flat-bottomed base having a recess in its top,a-curved horn or guard having a base-piece to. close the top portion of the recess and forming aspace between itself and the base-wall of the recess to receive the hip-strap of a harness, and a fastening device to secure the horn to the strap, substantially as described.

2. A rein-hold er comprising a flat-bottomed base having a top recess therein, a wedgeshaped slide dovetailed into the upper portion of the recess and forming a space between itself and the base to receive the hip-strap of a harness, a rein-guard or horn carried by the slide, and a thumb-screw extending through the slide and adapted to engage the hip-strap, substantially asdescribed.

3. A rein-holder comprising a base having a top recess to receive the hip-strap of a harness, a wedge-shaped slide dovetailed into the upper portion of the recess, and a curved horn or guard produced upon the outer portion of the slide, substantially as described.

GEORGE W. THOMPSON. 

